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How to make the drawing area smaller


Z06Seal

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Hello everyone,

 

I'm coming from corel draw to autocad. I'll be making 2D templates for consturction. I make the molds so they're inside out. anyways... I'm a full newbie in acad so I had some questions

 

how do I scale the background so that it's not in hundreds of feet? I work with very small small. usually 96x48 inches. sometimes I'll draw circles with about radius of 100-300 but then will cut them to get only about 60 degrees of it...

 

so can someone tell me how to re scale the background so it's within my range and not in a size that's meant to design a whole house? lol..

 

thanks!

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Hello everyone,

 

I'm coming from corel draw to autocad. I'll be making 2D templates for consturction. I make the molds so they're inside out. anyways... I'm a full newbie in acad so I had some questions

 

how do I scale the background so that it's not in hundreds of feet? I work with very small small. usually 96x48 inches. sometimes I'll draw circles with about radius of 100-300 but then will cut them to get only about 60 degrees of it...

 

so can someone tell me how to re scale the background so it's within my range and not in a size that's meant to design a whole house? lol..

 

thanks!

There are two "spaces" in AutoCAD. You have a drawing space and a print space. The correct term is Modelspace and Paperspace. Modelspace is virtually infinite. Paperspace is what you use to print from and you use Viewports that act as a window to view an area of the Modelspace. So in a sense, you never "scale" the Modelspace. But if you want, you can manipulate Paperspace to fit any size your heart desires. Paperspace simply represents a literal "page" in the real world.

 

Here is a good starting point if you want some reading material to digest. http://exchange.autodesk.com/autocad/enu/online-help/search#WSfacf1429558a55de1a7524c1004e616f8b-6402.htm

 

Come back with any questions or concerns you still may have. If I haven't answered your question at all, my apologies up from. You are new to AutoCAD so your terminology is hard for me to follow so I'm going strictly off assumptions here, being somewhat familiar with CorelDRAW. Hope this helps.

 

:)

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Thanks!

 

I guess what I'm asking is this...

 

I don't want to have to zoom in all the time for my work area... those gridlines for example, they seem to be per 10 foot? maybe I can change it so that they are per inch?

 

oh, and another stupid question... where is the zoom button? (on corel draw if you double click the zoom button, it will zoom to the area that you are working on and 'fit to window' I can just scroll in and out with autocad

 

I'm gonna try very hard and be persistent with autocad, I think I can make it work compared to coreldraw... lol

 

also, there is a way to slices in designCAD that splits up an arc evenly. it's really neat and helps me alot... is there such a feature in autocad? I've heard of break and divide but I couldn't get them to properly work... here is a picture of what I mean

 

autocadslice.png

 

I utilize this to draw lines between the those lines on the arc. helps alot. especially when I don't know how long 3 lines will equal the distance on that arc's radius... lol

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A quick start for beginners make sure your in modelspace type LIMITS 0,0 1000,1000 then do a ZOOM ALL this will make the screen size fit the 1000,1000. As you start to draw objects change to ZOOM E this will only zoom to the size of what ever you have drawn. In paperspace layout draw a rectangle the size of your plot sheet size Letter 11x7 then follow the guide above about making viewports inside this area and plotting, you always plot at 1:1 but scale the viewport to suit. .

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I turn the grids off. Most "pro" drafters don't need it. Using tools like ORTHO or POLAR with Object Snaps are a world better and faster than using the AutoCAD grid system. But, that's all contingent on your needs so don't take my word as gold.

 

Typing Z at the command line gives you a quick access to ZOOM. Depending on what Workspace you're in (using Ribbon or Toolbars) the Zoom features can be in multiple areas. There is a Zoom toolbar just under the Navigation Cube in the drawing space as well. Maybe that might be another route for zoom. But mostly, wheel mouse works great.

 

And the DIVIDE command is definitely what you're after. make sure your PDMODE is not set to 0 or 1. This will allow you to actually see the points that are created along the arc. Search PDMODE in Help for a better understanding.

 

8)

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right, I don't want the grid either honestly. I was just saying in size of scale... lol

 

ok let me see with the zoom e thing now

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You guys posted as I was posting

Gridlines can be turned off

Have a look at UNITS metric feet or just lengths set it to suit

Use DIVIDE to work out spaces automatically

Zooming if your mouse set up right scroll the centre wheel for zoom in out hold scroll down for pan also Z works well

 

have a go at Z L A T C these are shorthands for commands they are detailed in the file acad.pgp

 

trying to keep up.

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awesome... the zoom e worked. it let me work at my own 'scale' if you know what I mean. LOL

 

I'm sure i'll have more questions. I just make a 1 minute quick mold design. I have more complicated things that confuse me even in corel so I will be back often :)

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If you are too far zoom into something and it won't seem to zoom out, typing RE at the command line does a Regen and somewhat "unlocks" the view so you can continue zooming in or out. Just a quick tip is all. 8)

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ok... 2 more questions for today then I'm going to bed. lol...

 

if anyone has used corel draw, you know there is the 'group' tool. what it does is whatever you select (say you make a box with 4 single lines) will get grouped together, so when you select that item (like if you click on any of the lines) it will move as one. I can't seem to figure that out

 

and last question for tonight...

 

again... in corel draw, there is a way to make the movements so taht each arrow press on the keyboard will move the object a distance you define.

 

like what I do is, I make an object, and I will group that object. now I will duplicate that object (copy/paste) then then I'll have both their edges touch each other. then I set the 'nudge distance' to .25 and will press the arrow key and it will move that object that far...

 

does that make any sense? I guess what i'm trying to say is, how can I group a drawing so I can select it as one, and then move that object a defined distance with arrow keys (like every left arrow key will move it left at .25 inches)

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4 lines two answers use PLINE joins lines and arcs as you draw, back to 4 lines PE then join makes them into a Pline.

 

A nudge can be done using a macro or lisp I have CHX CHY just pick object and a preset amount.

 

Re duplicate just use CP COPY its Autocads copy v's ctrl C or edit copy much better than pasting, if you use copy can multi paste straight away and copy lets you use snaps straight away.

 

Ok now Move W this is use a window mouse! to pick multiple objects two versions a crossing window right to left, a within window left to right, there are more options wp cp f dont want to confuse, you can do this to most commands where you have to pick something.

 

Now the nudge press F8 key ortho On M W select objects pick a point drag mouse to anywhere in the direction required type 0.25 it will move that much the pick point is not critical sometimes its better to not pick an object point so your SNAPS dont make it move wrong amount snaps on/off F3

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Learning the differences can take time eg Block is Autocad, Cells is Microstation and Groups Corel ?

 

just a last one you can re-program the arrow keys but other ways much simpler.

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you seem to like using corel draw and it would seem it is doing what you want to draw ok, so why are you trying to use autocad now please ? is corel not able to do something ?

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I just wrote a long ass reply to you daft and lost it :(

 

shortly, I need proofs and masters to be in autocad because the architects that contract us out require it to verify my work.

 

and working with arcs is easier in autocad (and designcad) Designcard would actually be really useful, but the problem is that designcad has very minimal support and that's not helping my cause to learn.

 

here I can learn fast because people are very helpful

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AutoCAD has the GROUP command also.

 

Group Objects

 

 

A group is a saved set of objects that you can select and edit together or separately as needed. Groups provide an easy way to combine drawing elements that you need to manipulate as a unit.

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AutoCAD has the GROUP command also.
Yes but there's a reason why I didn't mention it. Blocks are much more useful and powerful and I didn't want the original poster to get started off with bad habits first. :)
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Sure, any command in AutoCAD can be useful. But once someone gets acquainted with a certain way of doing things, it's hard to have them break from it.

 

Let me ask you this: If Autodesk to get rid of Groups or Blocks, which would you rather go without? 8)

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Hypothetical.

 

I haven't used Groups in years. I use blocks for transferring from drawing to drawing. I don't make blocks just to group items. 3D can be unioned and moved as one. Past jobs I have used Groups.

 

Point being, let others choose for themselves.

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